Part of the former Stimpson House Hotel, one of Mackinaw City's oldest buildings, lies in rubble Thursday, June 26. A fire Monday, June 23, affected Joanne's Fudge, Oak Tree Gifts, Shirt Tales, The Popcorn Factory, and a new, unnamed T-shirt shop. All but Oak Tree and the T-shirt shop are open or are shortly to reopen. Fire damage has been repaired at some stores in Mackinaw City following a June 23 fire at the former Stimpson House hotel, but at least one shop will remain closed for some time.

"My store is basically totaled for the season," said Rob Bynoe of Mackinac Island, owner of Oak Tree Gifts.

Mr. Bynoe does not expect to reopen this season. At this point, his main concern is how long it will take to rebuild his portion of the structure. He is working with insurance companies to assess the damage and determine compensation, both for his store as well as apartment, office, and storage space upstairs. His car was damaged by a wall that fell during the blaze, also, he told The St. Ignace News Monday, June 30.

Firefighters from St. Ignace, Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island, and several northern Lower Michigan departments managed to prevent the spread of a blaze on East Central Avenue in Mackinaw City Monday, June 23. It destroyed a T-shirt shop, led to heavy damage at Oak Tree Gifts, and caused minor damage to three businesses on the block. He was working when the blaze began in one of the village's oldest buildings, which spans a block along East Central Avenue.

At first, he saw small amounts of smoke coming from eves troughs. Soon, smoke was billowing from the back of the building. He exited the store, moved his mother's car away from the block, but was unable to return to move his own when firefighters moved in to battle the blaze. The wall damaged the windshield and the car's top.

To contain the blaze, firefighters had to break through a wall inside his portion of the building.

Some of the merchandise can be replaced easily, but some of it cannot be replaced this year, he added. The store sold gifts and T-shirts.

The blaze also destroyed a new, un-named T-shirt shop. The remaining businesses, Shirt Tales, The Popcorn Factory, Joanne's Fudge, and Twisted Crystal, had been assessed, cleaned, some had been re-stocked, and all were ready to open, or nearly ready, Saturday, June 28, said Mackinaw City Fire Chief Fred Thompson.

Joanne's and Shirt Tales have sister stores on Mackinac Island.

For Joanne's, "It could have been a lot worse," said owner Frank Nephew. Joanne's was closed from Monday through Friday, while Mr. Nephew awaited clearance to reopen from the health department.

He learned of the fire Monday at 2:45 p.m., shortly after it started. By 3 p.m., he was on a boat from the Island to Mackinaw City, where he watched fire crews battle the blaze.

The fire began in a new addition at the back of the T-shirt store, which will have to come down, he said.

"It's rubble back there," he told The St. Ignace News.

Upon arrival, he saw copious smoke with flames showing through, billowing from the back of the building.

Repeatedly, firefighters brought the flames down, only to have them surge again.

"It was a tough fight for them," he said.

Mr. Nephew said the efforts of the Mackinaw City Fire Department and other area fire departments were effective at minimizing the damage to his business.

Joanne's, a one-story structure, is connected to the main building, but is not part of the original Stimpson House. It was built later and had a cement wall between it and the T-shirt shop. The other businesses are part of the original two- story structure, Mr. Nephew said.

Joanne's fire damage, limited to the roof, was minimal because fire crews repeatedly soaked the roof to protect it from burning debris. Joanne's front was unaffected by the fire. Inside there was slight water damage, which was quickly addressed with cleaning and a new drop ceiling. The main problems were smoke damage and the loss of several days of businesses.

"We had to throw out all of the nuts, chocolate, sugar, popcorn, everything," Mr. Nephew said.

The popcorn factory had to throw away all of its food, also, Mr. Thompson said.

Insurance will cover the damage, and Joanne's had sufficient stock to replace what was lost, Mr. Nephew said.

He expects to open again no later than Friday, July 4.

Shirt Tales manager Sue Gross was working when the fire started. She received a call from her husband, who heard about the blaze over a police scanner. She checked on employees who live upstairs from the shop. They were coming down the stairs as the fire department burst into the building, she said.

To liquidate inventory damaged by smoke, Shirt Tales reopened Friday, June 27, through Sunday, June 29, for a fire sale.

The store was closed again Monday, June 30, through Friday, July 3, to restock with fresh inventory.

"We're well insured. I'm pretty sure everything's going to be fine," Mrs. Gross told The St. Ignace News.

The cause of the blaze has not been determined, but it is not considered suspicious, Mr. Thompson said.

Investigators from three insurance companies and Michigan State Police fire marshals from Gaylord have been working to determine the cause.

The fire began at 2:30 p.m. and was almost completely out by 4:30 p.m. The Mackinaw City Fire Department kept a fire engine outside all night.

The blaze was fought by fire departments from Mackinaw City, the City of St. Ignace, Carp Lake, the City of Cheboygan, Pellston, Topinabee, Tuscarora Township, the Readmond/Friendship Township Fire Department, and Mackinac Island.